US Secretary of State told a group of journalists when the United States invaded Iraq, “this will be a war that will not end in your lifetimes.” The vision of the project for the New American Century which backed George W Bush’s bid for presidency, is that the United States will control the world economy, by controlling the world’s oil supplies. The backing of independence movements in Georgia and Chechnya has deprived Russia of the gateway to Middle Eastern oil, and prevented it building a planned pipeline to China. Combined with manouvers in Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel, it is clear that this plan is being put into effect. The news stories in this category track the progress of this project and the impact it is having on the world economy and hence, your daily life.
Political chaos means Israel is booming like it’s 1999 – and the boom is in defence exports field-tested on Palestinians By Naomi Klein 09/16/07 "The Guardian" — — Gaza in the hands of Hamas, with masked militants sitting in the president’s chair; the West Bank on the edge; Israeli army camps hastily assembled in the Continue Reading →
Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began. Now, for the first time — the first time in any warzone — the machines are carrying guns.
After years of development, three "special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system" (SWORDS) robots have deployed to Iraq, armed with M249 machine guns. The ‘bots "haven’t fired their weapons yet," Michael Zecca, the SWORDS program manager, tells DANGER ROOM. "But that’ll be happening soon."
The SWORDS — modified versions of bomb-disposal robots used throughout Iraq — were first declared ready for duty back in 2004. But concerns about safety kept the robots from being sent over the the battlefield. The machines had a tendency to spin out of control from time to time. That was an annoyance during ordnance-handling missions; no one wanted to contemplate the consequences during a firefight.
July 14 / 15, 2007 Language as an Instrument of Crime By RANNIE AMIRI It is indeed a great irony that George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948, the same year Israel was created. For this nation, above all others, has proven itself most adept in the use and promulgation of doublespeak. Defined by Webster’s Dictionary Continue Reading →
With considerable fanfare, Iraq’s cabinet last week announced approval of a draft law that would permit foreign investment in the nation’s oil industry and provide for distribution of oil revenues among the regions and thus the country’s main sectarian blocs.
Details of the draft are tricky. Revenues from current oil fields are to be shared according to population. Yet no recent census has been taken. The Kurdish region in the north and the provinces can sign new oil contracts, but these must be reviewed by an independent federal committee, not yet appointed. There is concern that foreign oil companies might try to get better terms by playing the provinces against one another.
But some oil experts are skeptical of the significance of the measure.
"It will not mean anything on the ground," says A.F. Alhajji, an oil economist at Ohio Northern University in Ada. As long as Iraq suffers from political instability, major oil companies will shy away. "The situation is so bad no one in his right mind wants to go there to be attacked or nationalized a second time."
Fearing the consequences, "The oil companies never supported the invasion," Dr. Alhajji adds.
Iraq’s oil remains important to a world highly reliant on petroleum and its byproducts. Iraq has proven reserves of 115 billion barrels and, according to Iraqi oil economist Muhammad-Ali Zainy, another 215 billion to 240 billion barrels not yet proven. Some of that new oil may cost as little as $1 a barrel to extract.
By comparison, Saudi Arabia has 264 billion barrels of proven reserves.
Great Moments in International Diplomacy:
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki: "Mr. Bush, tear down this wall!"
U.S. President George W. Bush: "Pound sand, raghead!"
That just about covers the developments of the past 24 hours, from Maliki’s bold declaration that he had ordered a halt to the American construction of a wall around the recalcitrant Adhamiya district of Baghdad to the American response: an announcement in the Washington Post that American forces are going to build not one but at least ten "gated communities" across the city.
The announcement of this plan (which we noted here last week and followed up here) is of course in direct contradiction to what the Pentagon asserted just a few days ago: that the Adhamiya wall was a one-time special project, and certainly not an integral part of the vaunted "surge" strategy. "Dividing up the entire city with barriers is not part of the plan," Lt. Col. Christopher Garver told the Independent after Robert Fisk had rumbled the scheme. But now, lo and behold, Bush brass have told the Beltway’s house organ, the Post, that the encasement of Iraqi citizens in walled ghettos under armed guard is "part of the two-month-old U.S. and Iraqi counterinsurgency plan to calm sectarian strife."
In many ways, Israel is similar to the medieval Crusader states in the Holy Land. It has a different religion and different institutions from all of its neighbours. It looks west for its military and economic support and if it were not for that support would be unlikely to survive for long. Just as with Continue Reading →